Spring bed-bottom



(No Model.) sheets-sheep 1.

W. A. MOONEY.

. SPRING BBD BOTTOM.- 8

. No. 382,486. Patentad May 8, 1888.-

^ JZ IMM.

@E nm UNITED AST-Aiuis PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. MooNEY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

`SPRINGI BED-BOTTOM.-

SPBCIPIATION farming part' of Letters raten No. 382,486, atea Mays, Issa.

Application' :nea June 15,1881.

ToaZZ whom t mayconcern:

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM A. MooNEY, a citizen of the United States, andv a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements inSpring Bed-Bottoins, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a spring bed-bottom that can be folded upon itself Without distorting any of the springs when p springs, the latter offer greater resistance to folded, a furtherobject of the invention being to make the upper portion ofV 'thebed'in two or more distinct sections, which can be independently adjusted as regards tension and stiffness, and at the same time can be connected together when required, as fully described hereinafter.

Y A further object of the invention is to detachably connect the upper frames to the springs, so that they may be 'removed when required,when a very soft bed is desired.

In the accompanying' drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved bedfbottom. Fig. 2 is an end View. f Fig. 3 is van end view of the bedv folded. Fig. 4 is adetaehed perspective view of a portion of the bed, showing t-he flexible joint. Fig. 5 is an end view showing a modified form of a flexible joint. Fig. 6. is the same folded'. Figs".`7 and 8 illustrate different forms of lateral" adj istrnent. Fig. 9 is amodited form of flexible joint, and Fig. 10 is aview showing the detachable fastening by which the springs are secured to the upper frames. Fig. 11 is aA detached perspective View of one of the details of my invention.- Fig. 12 is a plan view of a portion of a spring bed-bottom, illustrating thelateral adjustment of the topl frame. Fig. 13 is a view showing locking devices for the bed-bottom.

Referring, in the rst instance,to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, A is a quadrangular frame made in two sections, A' A-, and connected together by flexible piecest b. This base-frame A- is formed of metallic side pieces, a a, and end strips, a', connected together at their joints, and longitudinalstrips a2, which extend in this instance from end to end of the bed, and are secured to the end strips, a. These strips c2, with the side strips, a, support the springs B,

which are securely attached to these strips by rivets or other suitable fastenings. Thesprings B are divided into two complete sections, and each section is bounded atthe top by a quadother half.

lSerial No. 241,397. (No model.)

rangular frame, D or D', having side bars, d d,

and end bars, d', connected together in any suitable manner. The outer rows of springs Bare detachably secured to these frames D D by ysuitable cleats, f. (Shownrin Fig. 10, and preferably of the same pattern as that shown and described in the patent granted to nie-'on Ocl tober 5, 1886,"No. 350,265.)

When the top frames are applied to the compression than whenthe top frames are`removed; hence by dividing the springs into two independentsets, cach with a detachable top frame, thelatter can be removed from either set of springsif it is desirable that one half ofthe bed shall be more elastic than the The inner springs yof each set'are connected to each other and to the outer rowsl .of springs by small coiled springs x, or may,

insonie instances, be connected together byj chains, as in my former patent, or hooks.

I connect the springsthat are between the outer endrows of. springs B to the frames D4 D' by chains c, preferably adjustable in the same manner as in my'above-mentioned patdegrees of tension required.

The upper frames,D D,are braced from the lower frame by suitable braces, e e', at the dif-vr` The braces e', I'seent, so that the springs lnayfhave the different v If thebe'dbottom is to 4be used as a single bed, 'I prefer to connect the two frames yD .D together by suitable chains or straps, g, as shown in Fig. l, so that the twoV frames'will act as one solid bedbottom.

As before remarked, the two lower frameset a', are connected together, preferablygby `a flexible plate, b. In Figs. 1,2, and 3 the end strips,a,are turned up near the middle, forining upright extensions z ,having at their toptransverse extensions i', to which the flexible 1 f connection b is secured. The object?"offex-` tending the upright z' tothe pointindicatedlisl v 2 Samet` pivot, as near the center of revolutiouas possible.

By making the connections of the two lower frames,a a', of' flexible materialsuch as springsteel-I get a very firm lower frame, which is not liableto break as readily asthe usual.

hinge-joint,and cannot becomeloosefrom wear, as it is a continuous piece from frame to frame;

I have found by experience that a hingejoint as usually made from metal as wide as the end strips soon becomes loose and often breaks at the joint, and, moreover, the cost Vof the fiexible strip is merely nominal,as it is mostly made from scrap. The iiexible connection will also accommodate itself to the different heights of' springs when the bed is fo1ded,so thatit will be compact and firm for transportation.

When it 'is wished to store or transport the spring bed-bottom,one section is turned upon the other-that is, the top of one section is turned upon the top of the other section, so that the longitudinal strips a of the bottom section will protect the spring during transportation, as shown in Fig. 3, the flexible portions b at each end of the bed yielding to the desired extent-,and,as before remarked,as near the center of revolution as possible. The springs B will not be crushed or bent to one side; but the two upper frames,D D,wil1 rest directly one upon the other, and the springs remain as regards tension in precisely the same conditionas they were when Ithe bed-bottom was flat.

When it is required to adjust the spring bedbottom to tit differentsizes of bed-frames,I perforate the flexible strips b at j, as shown in Figs. l and 4, and by inserting the securingbolts k in either of the perforations, the bedj bottom may be adjusted to different widths,as required.

In Figs. l, 2,3, and 4 I have shown the flexible connecting-strips b flat when the bed is open, but under tension when the bed is closed.

In Figs. 5 andt I have shown the flexible plate b under tension when the bed bottom` is opened, and flat when the bed -bottom is folded, as in Fig. 6 the flexible plate b is fiat and relieved from tension, the flexible plate in this instance being connected directly to the upright@ i. In order to make this style of plate adjustable, I either form right-angled pieces I I, instead of the upright pieeei, and secure them to the flexible plate b', and adjustably secure them to the end strips, a', by means of boltsh, Fig. 7 or in some-instances the upright strips i may be bent in the form ofa goose-neck, asshown in Fig. 8, and the plate b' can be adjustably secured to one or other of' the sections.

In Fig. 9 I have shown theend strips, a', continuons from side to side of the bed-bot tom, having a portion, m, which extends up near the pivot-point of the sections and placed under tension by a spring, n, extending from one uprighti to the other.

When van extensive lateral adjustment is required of thebed bottom to fit rather alarge bedframe, I not only adjust t-he two lower frames, a a', in respect to each other, but also adjustably connect the outer frames, d d, of the upper frames, D D', to their end frames, as shown in- Fig. 12,that they can be extended to cover the desired width, and then fastened in the position required.

When it is desired to lock the springs in the open or flat position1 I extend the end strips, a', as shown in Fig. 13,1intil they nearly join each other, then'form two uprightsand connect them together by suitable bolts and nuts, so that it will be utterly impossible to fold the bed without first removing these bolts.

I claim as `my inventionj A l., The combination of the quadrangular base-frame made in two sections, springs sup-V ported thereby, and two top frames carried by said springs, each top frame and itssplings being entirely independent of the other,'a

pivotsection free from springs connectingthel two springsections together, whereby the whole structure can be folded with the top frames face to face without distorting any ot' the springs, the base-frame acting as a guard for the springs, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the quadranglllar,

base-frame, two sets of springs supported thereby, and two top frames carriedV byjsaid 3. The combinationin a springbedlbot tom, of the base-frame with su pporting-springs connected thereto, each end bar of the frame having a flexible conuectinglsection free from springs, and extending to or nearlyto the top of the springs, substantially as described. f .g-

4. The combination of the base-frameA,. `made in two sections, a a, carrying suitable ICO IIC

springs, and independent top frames for each v section, a flexible section free from springs connecting the two springsections together, and extending to or nearly to the top flame, so that when the bed is folded the springs will not be crushed, substantially as specified,

5. The combination of the base-frameA,

made in two sections, a a', each having an upright extension, i i, with a flexible'strip, b, connecting the extensions 'i' of the sections together, all substantially as specified. .t

6. The combination of the base-frameA, made in two sections, a a', each having upright extensions i ,with a connecting flexible strip, b, adjustably attached to one or both ofthe extensionsi of the sections, substantially as` specified.

7. The combination of the bottom frame,the

end strips, c, and spring-bearing strips a,with a cross-piece, e, extending from one bearingstrip to another, and a brace extending from` the cross-Strip c to the top frameysnbstantially l as described..

8. The combination of the base-tranieA, made in two sections, with v,connecting-strips 5 adj ustably attached to one or both of said sections, springs carried by eah sectionof the base-frame, and quadrangular top frames carried by said springs, one or both of said top frames being adjustable as to Width, andeach 1o `fop frame and its springs being entirely inde Y 

